<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Reach for Me (A-side) by SilentWhisper</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25623517">Reach for Me (A-side)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentWhisper/pseuds/SilentWhisper'>SilentWhisper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reach for Me [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:20:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25623517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentWhisper/pseuds/SilentWhisper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The grenade doesn't roll far enough. Andy and Nile find two bodies where the plan was for one.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reach for Me [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>294</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story came about from one too many viewings (and an inadvisable amount of coffee) and thinking...what if?<br/>I hope you enjoy this offering to a great fandom.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of gunfire cut their conversation short, Andy reaching for her gun as Nile ducked beside her. After tense moments they finally worked their way to the main door, both of them on high alert. Andy could feel Nile standing behind her, body poised and ready to face whatever was ahead. She led the way in, sweeping the room with the ease that came from an age of practice. </p><p>There were no unknown assailants waiting to strike, no clear danger that she could throw herself at. Only two forms motionless and bloodied in front of the TV. Booker lay sprawled in the chair, limbs hanging like a puppet left after play. It would be familiar and comforting if she wasn’t able to clearly see his organs barely staying in place. Joe’s chair had toppled, tumbling him to the ground in a heap, his right side peppered with debris from what looked like an explosion. Nicky was nowhere to be seen. </p><p>“Nicky.” She calls out, a part of her already knowing she won’t get a response. If Nicky were conscious, he would be by Joe. The two were predictable like that. </p><p>She waits a beat before she kneels beside Joe, stopping only to hold the gun out to Nile. “Clear the back room, find Nicky.” She says, waiting for Nile to take the weapon. The younger woman took the offered weapon, eyes going over the two men before giving Andy a firm nod. She steps forward to check the other room, her feet deftly moving around the growing pool of blood. </p><p>Andy moves Joe into a more comfortable position, hands slipping on exposed ribs as she shifts him onto his side. There was no need for him to drown on his own blood and die a second time. Once she is sure he won’t slump back, she steps back to try and wake Booker. </p><p>She kneels in front of him, her hands cupping his cheeks. He is loose and pliant in her hold, body relaxed in a way it never was when he was alive.  </p><p>“Book.” She says watching for any response. A coldness grows as the seconds tick by and she sees no healing. Pleading words slip from her; and at this moment, with the bodies of two of her family in front of her and a third possibly lost, she can’t find it in herself to stop. Facing eternity without them made what little hope she still held fold into itself like a wounded creature. </p><p>A weak groan from her right pulls her attention from Booker, she rests back on her heels and zeroes in on Joe. Joe’s limbs are twitching, the sound of bones and joints resetting a stark contrast to the softer sounds of his awakening. Joe’s awakening seemed to act as a signal for Booker as he too gasped back to life, and she felt a momentary spike of pure relief. She leans forward to brace him as he tries to rise, holding him down against the support of his chair.  </p><p>“He’s not here.” Nile says as she moves passed Andy to help Joe. She stands up at the other’s words, resting a hand on Booker’s shoulder as he leans back in pain with another pained grimace. She waits for him to look up at her, his bleary gaze finally settling on her. </p><p>“Welcome back arsehole.” She says, grinning at his huff of pained amusement. The sound of wood grinding over wood pulls her attention back to the other two. Joe rises, an arm wrapped around his side as Nile helps to prop him up. </p><p>“They took Nicky.” He said, voice breaking as he looked to Andy. She nodded her understanding, internally waiting for the moment pain would morph to anger. They would use that. Bind it to them like armour when the time came. A crash stopped her from voicing her thought. All three looked at Booker as he sat twisted on the chair, tendrils of shock licking across his face as he looks at the other man. </p><p>“Joe.” He manages to gasp out, his voice tight with pain as he hunched over the arm of his chair. Joe nodded, forgoing a response in favour of pulling away from Nile to straighten up, the last lacerations marring his face healing until unbroken skin was left. He swiped at his check, the action smearing blood into his hair. Andy turns back to Booker, Nile following her as they give him some time to collect himself. She questions Booker, trying to work out how the had been so blindsided. Booker’s answers were scattered, offering little value other than that their assailants were armed and trained. </p><p>“We need to find Nicky.” Joe says, ignoring their conversation as he disappeared into the backroom. The other three paused in their conversation, Copley’s name a bitter taste in Andy’s mouth as she stared at the backroom. </p><p>“They’re coming back. They want all of us.” She finally said, looking back to the other two. The confusion in Nile’s face clear before she even made a sound. Booker looked resigned but he was already trying to lever himself up onto his own feet. Andy took a deep breath, turning to grab one of the spare swords. </p><p>“Stay..” She starts to say, Joe interrupting with a sharp “I’m coming with.”. She growls but nods her understanding. She looks back at Nile. “Stay here.” She repeats and waits for Joe to walk through before following him out into the darkness. She calls out a reminder for the two to wait for a signal, then strides forward. Joe keeps pace beside her, a grimace on his face as they cautiously make their way around the building. She bites her tongue to hold back any words, this was not the time nor place. For now she drew upon her own anger, letting it build in her chest and solidify. </p><p>They had come into their home. Hurt her family, stolen one away. They would not get the chance to do it again. She would make sure of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Old mines are a great place to plan, they are not the best place to sleep though.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A huge thanks to the lovely Bluemoonflight, they were kind enough to go over this and point out my errors. Any additional mistakes are my own. Thank you for the wonderful comments, they are a great motivator to stay on track.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Andy guides them to one of her many hideouts. Usually Joe would make some comment about her attempting to relive her caveman origins, with Nicky pretending not to be amused. But now the only sound is their feet breaking through the overgrown greenery as they trudge to the entrance and then into the cold space.</p><p>“What is this place?” Nile asks as she looks over the dark interior filled with objects.</p><p>“An abandoned mine. We stumbled on it during the Baussenque Wars.” Andy replied as she set about lighting one of the many lanterns. “1150s maybe?” She adds as she rose to face Nile, the two women both pausing to take it in. “I used to keep my stuff here.” She ends with, moving away from Nile.</p><p>Andy kept an idle eye on the younger woman, watching as she explores the dark cavern. She waits until Nile is engrossed with one of the many paintings before she turns her attention to the other two.</p><p>Booker kept glancing over to Joe, a frown on his face every time his attention settled there. Joe for his part was ignoring him, them more likely, as he cleans himself up in one of the less populated corners. The rough, abrupt motions were a clear indicator that one half of her oldest partnership was not handling this well. She could understand Booker’s unease, Joe was worrying her too. His unease and agitation was feeding across to all of them, unsettling them all.</p><p>She moves to kneel beside Booker, watching as he builds a small fire, and contemplating whether she needs to give Joe his space or step forward and try and draw him back to them. The empty space beside Joe was enough to slide the scales towards approaching him, it would be what Nicky would do and what he would want them to do.</p><p>“Is this a Rodin?”</p><p>Nile’s voice breaks her silent observations. Andy stands up, letting Booker carry on with his task as she turns her attention to the new immortal.</p><p>“Yeah.” She responds, a little as Nile’s eyes don’t move away from the sculpture, staring at it with a level of awe she has not felt herself in over a millennia.</p><p>“This is an honest to God Rodin.” She repeats, almost to herself. Andy watches the emotions playing across her face until she is met with an incredulous gaze.</p><p>“Did you know him?” She asks, and before Andy can answer Booker pipes up with an innuendo. She fondly taps him with the side of her boot, his own chuckles breaking out as he nurses the flames further. Nile continues her exploring, studiously not responding to their shenanigans, and Andy decides to leave her to it. She stares down at the flickering fire, Booker still feeding it every few moments. She hears the heavy tread of feet crossing the floor and looks up to see Joe making his way out. She remembers her previous thoughts and lets out a silent sigh.</p><p>“Find Copley.” She says, a hand brushing over Booker’s shoulder. He looks up at her and nods, his face losing its earlier mirth at the reminder of their pursuer. “Find Copley, we find Nicky.” She adds, waiting for him to nod before she follows the path Joe took back out into the fresh air.</p><p>---</p><p>Joe is sitting on what was left of a long dead building, shoulders hunched as he seems to be trying to curl himself away from the world. She makes her way slowly to him, her footsteps loud in the quiet.</p><p>“He was right there.” Joe’s voice flows to her, soft like the songs he and Nicky would sing to each other after nightmares tore at their sleep. Andy walks until she can touch his shoulder, her hands stopping before they made contact.</p><p>“I was so close, and I couldn’t…. I” His voice is a sob that cuts itself before it can fully form. Her hand settles on a trembling shoulder, the material warm from Joe’s skin. It hunches under her hold, as he lowers and tilts his face away from her.</p><p>“We will find him Joe. We will hunt them down and make them regret ever taking him from us.” She moves into his space, turning to face him, her hand leaving his shoulder to cup his neck. His eyes are bright in the dark, shining with unshed tears even as he tried to keep a grasp on the anger that was pacing in the background like a hungry cat. Her words catch in her throat, he looks so young to her in this moment. Lost in a way he hasn’t had to experience for almost 900 years. He yields to her, slowly leaning against her side as she held him there, her body a barrier between him and the world as he pulls himself back together. She stares out at the distant lights of far off neighbors, burning the image of Joe’s face into her mind. It would be another layer, another weapon to wield against those who stood in the way.</p><p>---</p><p>Andy paces in agitation as Booker is somehow still working on the laptop. Joe had finally settled down to sleep a couple hours ago, and the three of them had agreed to leave him for as long as they could.</p><p>Between her own feelings of helplessness, and the echo of keystrokes, her frustration finally overcomes her control as she turns on the spot to level Booker with an unimpressed stare.</p><p>“Come on, Book. You’ve been working on that for hours.” She knows she isn’t helping, but time is of the essence, and something inside her is telling her that they are running out of it.</p><p>“He’s a security expert. He leaves no footprints. It’s gonna take time.” He gestures at the laptop as he answers her, voice even despite the length of time he’s been working on it. She feels some begrudging respect at his composure, especially when she is fraying at the edges. Her body aches in a way she is not used to, limbs heavy as if she has just dragged herself up a sheer cliff in full gear.</p><p>“You got a satellite link?” Nile asks from her spot by the fire. She had been there when Andy had returned with a silent Joe. Andy was sure she hasn’t moved since. She paces a little away from them, letting the two younger and more tech savvy immortals work through the problem, and decides to check on Joe.</p><p>He is already awake when she kneels beside him. He gives her a small smile in greeting, his whole body looks tired even with the time to rest. She pushes back some of his hair, the curls tangling between her fingers before she smooths them out.</p><p>“I’m thinking of making a run for some provisions. You up for giving me a hand?” She asks as she settles her weight on her haunches.  He heaves himself off the rugs he had used as a pallet, stretching out his shoulders once he is on his own feet.</p><p>“Sure thing boss.” He says, a hint of that old grin teasing the corners of his mouth. Their Joe was still there. The four of them would find Copley, rescue Nicky and find somewhere safe to recover.</p><p>All of them.</p><p>Together.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am sorry it has taken so long for me to update. Real Life took a swipe and everything ended up being another thing I needed to worry about. I do apologize for the quality of this chapter, it is not the best but if I help onto it any longer I think I would never post it. Thank you for all your lovely comments on the previous chapters, I will reply when I am able to, but please know that they are most appreciated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They leave the mine as four, they find Copley as three and they confront Copley as two. One shot brings it all together.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <em>(Earlier)</em>
</p><p>Joe watches as Nile drives away, Andy standing by his side as the pale car turns a bend and disappears from their sight.</p><p>“She gonna be okay boss?” He asks, Nile’s apologetic smile still so clear in his mind’s eye. He can’t find it in him to be angry, she didn’t know them well and the bonds with her family are still strong. They would find her when she was ready.</p><p>At first she doesn’t answer him, holding the gun Nile gave her out to Joe. He gives her a quizzical look. “Boss?” He asks, voice just a hint teasing and for a moment he feels like this is all going to be okay. That he hasn’t just spent the last 24 or so hours feeling like he was missing an important part of his life.</p><p>Her lips quirk as she eyes his own glock.</p><p>“We both know you prefer something with more to hold.” She teases back, he can hear the tremor in the low notes, her own worry she is trying to hide. A part of him wants to thank her, the other wants to tell her it’s okay.</p><p>He hands the gun over and accepts hers in turn, the heavier weight more comforting in his hands.</p><p>“Come on Joe, let’s go.” Andy says, a quick turn on the ball of her foot as she follows the path Booker had disappeared down a few minutes before them. The moment is broken and she is once more on a mission.</p><p>“Yeah.” He breathes out, hand ghosting over his necklace before he follows her.</p><p>---</p><p>He is already unhappy with the plan, Andy’s pointed looks reminding him once more that cooler heads are needed for this step. Booker shifts from one foot to the other, the motion pulling his attention from Andy as he watches the other man fidget. Ever since their safe house had been raided, Joe has felt on edge, like he’s being hunted by a nameless thing just stalking at the edge of his sight. Far enough to hide, but close enough the feel. It seems Booker is feeling the same. The man’s light eyes keep darting from Andy and Joe to the staircase through the window. It is not helping to settle Joe.</p><p>Andy holds Joe’s arm, grip firm but gentle as she waits for him to focus on her. “Make sure he doesn’t have any surprises, then join us up top.” She orders, leaving no space for him to rebel. He swallows his arguments, they will only be cut down like all the other’s before and gives a single sharp nod. He spares Booker a final look, the other man has already reached the back door. The two disappear into the house and Joe rounds the corner.</p><p><em>‘Copley better be in the mood to talk.’</em> He mentally grumbles as he sidesteps an abandoned wheelbarrow.</p><p>---</p><p>Despite how much dislike he feels for the man, he can’t deny he has a very nice house. The garden is a little neglected and the walls could probably do with a new coat of paint, but overall it looks to be well cared for. <em>‘Nicky would complain about all the glass.’</em> He idly notes, ducking down to peek into an open plan kitchen. His beloved had begun to despise buildings with excessive glass ever since he had completed his marksman training. Joe had been kept up far too many nights listening to Nicky explaining the importance of wind speed. Gravity and even the temperature. The last had led to Joe making innuendos that derailed the rant and led to more pleasant discussions.</p><p>He walks through the dining room door and turns to make his way up the staircase. Andy will probably not be happy he has rushed, but he’ll deal with her comments. The muffled sound of a gun discharging fills the air, the sound soft enough that he would have missed it if he were outside. He picks up his pace, raising his gun and quickly making his way up the rest of the stairs.</p><p>“No!” Andy’s voice tumbles down to him, driving him the rest of the way.</p><p>The first thing he sees is Copley standing in front of a wall of papers. Two figures are kneeling on the ground as one restrains the other. It takes him a moment to understand what he is seeing, and another to believe it.</p><p>“Booker.” He shouts, a part of him hopes that it is someone else. Someone with his build, someone who took out Booker and was holding Andy.</p><p>He waits to see the familiar lines that make Booker’s cheek. Nearly two hundred years of drawing it has made it almost as well-known as Andy’s.</p><p>He doesn’t hesitate to fire.</p><p>A splash of bright red paints the beige carpet and Booker slumps to the ground, Andy dragged down with him. Joe trains his gun on Copley.</p><p>“Don’t move.” He warns, waiting until Copley raises his hands in surrender, then he strides over to the entangled forms on the ground. Andy is groaning as she tries to wriggle out from under Booker’s arm, smearing blood as she moves. Joe kicks the offending arm out the way, not bothering to be gentle and she manages to sit up with a curse. He lets go of his gun with one hand and fishes his switchblade out, a quick flick exposes the sharp edge and he kneels to hold it out for Andy.</p><p>She leans into it, arms tensing as she runs the ziptie over the cutting edge until it frays and breaks. Once freed, she wraps her arms around her abdomen with another moan, her body hunching around itself. Joe closes the knife against his hip, returning it to his pocket.</p><p>---</p><p>She has had gut shots before, a sharp pain followed by a deep ache. Then it fades as tissue, bone and skin reform whole and healthy. This time is different, the pain isn’t fading. She is still hurting and the blood is still falling down her side like a quiet stream. Joe hands her Booker’s gun and on autopilot she aims it at Copley. The man watches her in turn, face puzzled as she gets painfully to her feet. She can see in the corner of her eye, Joe is using a ziptie to restrain Booker. He leaves him face down where he fell, when he revives it will not be comfortable. She is sure Nicky will be proud of Joe’s pettiness. Spirits know the Italian is a patron of it.</p><p>Copley takes a step forward and she tenses, the pain in her side swiftly changes to a raging inferno. The edges of her vision darken and she feels herself tilt. Arms catch her and she is guided into one of the chairs. She bites her lip and forces herself to focus, something puts pressure on her wound and the ensuing pain rockets her back to awareness.</p><p>Joe is talking to her, one hand at her side as the other cups her neck. The motion is familiar to her, even as she recalls she does it to them. She meets his gaze and waits for his words to start making sense.</p><p>She can just see Booker’s feet behind Joe’s kneeling form. He is so still as his body waits to revive. Copley has moved around them and she looks up to meet his shocked eyes. Joe’s voice is growing urgent, but a tingle of awareness is calling for her attention. She decides to listen to it, it is so annoying.</p><p>Copley had not looked surprised when they arrived. It looked like he was waiting for them.</p><p>Booker shot her.</p><p>He had known her name, had walls with their pictures on. But how did he know where to find them.</p><p>Booker shot…</p><p>How did he know they were coming for him…</p><p>Booker…</p><p>Booker!</p><p>Booker knew. Booker helped them. He helped them take Nicky.</p><p>Joe’s voice pierces through the fog, hot on the heels of her realisation, of the full scope of Booker’s betrayal. Her eyes snap back to Joe and her own hands clamp on his shoulders.</p><p>Joe wasn’t supposed to be here.</p><p>Something had gone wrong. Joe and Nicky were supposed to go first, Booker and her later. Divide and conquer. Booker’s behaviour at the chapel and the mines, he hadn’t been worried <strong>for</strong> Joe. He had been worried <strong>of</strong> Joe.</p><p>The pain in her side reminds her that moving is not a good idea and she just stifles the groan. She looks at Joe, he is eyeing her side and his own hand. He brushes over the blood before clamping down again.</p><p>“Why aren’t you healing?” Joe begs, his dark eyes so bright it’s painful to look at. He is on the precipice, a step away from losing his hold on himself and falling into the same fear and despair she had given herself to. She forces herself to focus, to remember what they need to do. They will have time for this later.</p><p>Booker revives with a wet gasp, body twitching as it tries to make sense of the last moments it felt. He turns on his side, gaze darting over the frozen form of Copley, to Joe pressing down on Andy’s side</p><p>“What?” He asks, confusions being torn aside as he realises what he is seeing. He scrambles to rise, the action as inelegant as a newly born foal. Andy wishes she could laugh at the thought, but the burning in her side and the knowledge that they are far more vulnerable than they first thought beats all humour into submission. Booker’s crawls on his knees, giving Joe a wide berth as the other man snarls a curse at him in French. Andy makes a mental note to applaud his imagination, if she survives this.</p><p>Joe looks up and away from her, leaving her to stare at Booker’s bent form. The younger man has always looked like he carries the weight of the world, his pain a yoke to bend his neck. But now he looks shattered, lost in the same way and wholly different to Joe. He is one of her boys, and she feels the sting of failure bite deeper than the bullet. She needs to fix this, she needs to find a way to make this right.</p><p>Joe touches her shoulder, bright brown eyes staring into her own. Her attention is brought back to him and an object blocking her view, a box hovering in her peripheral vision. Copley must have grabbed it while they were preoccupied. Joe takes it from his hands, the motion smooth but forceful as he dismisses the other man with a look. She watches as he balances the box beside her on the ground, hands plucking bits and bobs that make sense to him and she never cared to learn. She wonders if Joe has been keeping up to date like Nicky, probably, the two of them always finding ways to share and compliment each other. Regardless, it seems the two of them will be getting a lot of practice in the future. She winces as he works, she can see he is biting his lip to hold back apologies. She wishes she could pull in enough air to tell him it is okay, that the lightest touch will still hurt at this moment. She can do neither and so contents herself with holding in any noises that might try to slip out. </p><p>Copley moves forward, providing her with a welcome distraction as he cautiously makes his way into her view. His hands are raised and he waits for her to acknowledge him. She nods, hand curling into a fist as Joe seems to be shoving what feels like a bag of cotton balls into her side. </p><p>"They are going to be here soon." He says, eyes darting to the large window that looks out onto his lawn. Joe hisses, words tumbling under his breath as he speeds up his work. Booker stirs from his spot on the ground, red rimmed eyes staring at her. "They can't find you here. Not like this." He carries on, his lack of attention allowing him to miss the discontent folding in on itself before her. </p><p>"A change of heart?" She is proud she can still sound so arrogant even as it feels like her body is falling apart. He has the good manners to look ashamed, eyes skittering over Joe in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable. </p><p>"He's....none of this is how I thought it would happen." Andy snorts at his words, the action causing her abdomen to curl in displeasure and earns her a snarled warning from Joe. He is right though, they are vulnerable right now and she isn't sure they will manage to escape if they are attacked right now. </p><p>"You have a suggestion?" She asks, watching Copley as he rubs the back of his neck and nods, eyes focused on the stain on his carpet. "A panic room." He says, meeting her gaze. "It's fortified and wasn't included in the plans for the house. The only people who knew about it were me and..." he trails, lips turning downwards at the unspoken name. She spares him, even with all he has done, there is no need to twist that particular knife. There are plenty others for that. </p><p>She taps Joe's hand where it rests over her covered wound. "What do you think?" She asks, waiting for him to look at her. He twists to stare at Copley, the other man holding his gaze even as he fiddles with his ring. </p><p>"Okay boss." He settles on as he rises to stand. Copley hurries to his desk and grabs a few items, tucking them under his arm and into a small bag as he gestures towards the wall behind the boards. Joe offers his arm to Andy, levering her up and propping her against his shoulder. Copley looks passed them to Booker, eyes bouncing from him to them.</p><p>"Should I?" He asks.</p><p>Joe tightens his grip, "Keep him tied but bring him. We will deal with him after we sort this out." </p><p>Copley leads a complacent Booker to the wall, he tilts a painting out the way and places his hand over the raised square. </p><p>The wall swings open and they follow Copley in. </p><p>The door closes behind them, and Andy tries not think how it sounds like a tomb. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hi, so this is not an update of the story. Firstly, I apologize for the lack of updates or responses to comments. The last month and a bit ended up becoming a mess that no one really wants to hear about so I will spare you the details. On top of all that my laptop decided it would be a good time to go on permanent strike and I lost all of my writing and work. I managed to get a new laptop last week but have been struggling to get the momentum going to rewrite the lost chapters. I am not giving up on this story, or the other, I am just trying to push myself to write it all out again and to carry on. I hope that by the start of next month at least I will have the next chapter up. Thank you for your patience and I am sorry again for the wait. Have a great week and a peaceful weekend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, if there are any major errors (and I'm sure there are a few) I would appreciate if you point it out.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>